Travel pack and child safety seat

ABSTRACT

The travel pack and child safety seat includes a child safety seat arranged to be disposed upon a full size seat in a vehicle such as a car, plane, or train, and a backpack and shoulder harness system removably attached to the child safety seat for carrying the child safety seat on one&#39;s back. Cradled, within the child safety seat, the backpack has a pair of adjustable length shoulder straps looped through slots in the rear of the child safety seat, allowing a user to comfortably carry the child safety seat as in a backpack. An optional and headrest is removably received by the child safety seat and may be stored in the backpack when transported. A pivoting thigh portion allows the lower front portion of the child safety seat to pivot upwards, providing the child safety seat with a slimmer profile for ease of carrying.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to child safety restraint systems in transportation, an in particular, to a child safety seat, which can be converted to a backpack for ease of carrying the child seat when traveling.

2. Description of the Related Art

The use of child safety seats for the safe restraint of children and infants in vehicles is well known. Such use of child safety seats away from the family vehicle requires the transport of the child safety seat through airports, train stations, bus terminals and the like. The typical infant or child safety seat is bulky and of an awkward shape making carrying them even for a short distance difficult. Various devices have been developed to assist in the transportation of child safety seats including a variety of bags, totes, and cases.

U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0106916, published for Brian Boone in June 2003, discloses a system of harnesses for carrying a car seat on a person's back, chest, or side, leaving the person's hands free. The harnesses are attached to a fabric carrier body that is provided with an internal semi-rigid back pad which provides a contoured platform that supports the load of the car seat, or car seat plus child.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,742,212, issued to R. Siftar, in April 1956, discloses an early design of a infant carrying device that is adaptable as an automobile seat for a child. Introduced at the peak of the baby boom, the device lacked many of the safety features now present in most infant car seats.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,526, issued to J. Launes, in May 1988, discloses a collapsible infant seat and stroller, which includes a central frame support having straps so that the frame may be carried as a backpack.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,523, issued to J. Wilheim, in July 1993, discloses a multifunctional child carrier device including a base having a detachable seat, the backrest portion detachably connected to the base and slots formed within both the back-rest and the base to allow the unit to serve as a child safety seat or as an infant carrier seat utilizing only the backrest.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,478, issued to M. Noonan, in July 1995, discloses a convertible baby carrier having a clamshell figuration in which a first body portion and a second body portion are pivotally attached to each other, and includes apparatus for adjusting and fixing the angular relationship of the two body portions. The carrier includes legs and can be converted to a seat, a stroller, a bed and a backpack by altering the angular relationships of the body portions and of legs relative to the body portions.

Although designed for infant use, U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,570, issued to K. Zirbel in December 1996, discloses a combination backpack and seat device which includes a frame separable into a first member which generally supports the backrest and provides a back rest for a seated user. The second member forms the seat of the device and is stored within the pouch of the backpack.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,339, issue4d to Svendsen et al. in September 1997, discloses a child carrier for use as a two-wheeled stroller and as a child-supporting backpack having a frame and a fabric seat coupled to the frame.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,722, issued to Parrow et al. in April 2003, discloses a child safety restraint system for use on aircrafts. The '722 patent includes a removable, portable strap assembly for securing automotive child safety seats to aircraft seats and frames in compliance with federal aviation safety regulations.

European Patent Application Publication No. 0257141, published in March 1988, discloses a child carrier, which is convertible from use as a stroller to use as a backpack or a car seat. The apparatus includes a seat portion mounted on a frame carrying front and rear wheels, and a handle, which is pivotally connected to the frame so that it is movable between an upwardly and rearwardly extending position when the carrier is to be used as a stroller, and a downwardly extending position when used a car seat.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a travel pack and child safety seat solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The travel pack and child safety seat provides an efficient method of transporting a child safety seat when traveling. Taking advantage of the empty seating area contained within the child safety seat, a backpack and shoulder harness system cradled within the child safety seat is removably attached to the child safety seat by means of a pair of adjustable length shoulder straps looped through slots in the rear of the child safety seat, thereby allowing a user to comfortably carry the child safety seat.

The backpack and shoulder harness system has a storage compartment and may be used as a diaper bag or as a general-purpose backpack. An optional and removable headrest for the child safety seat may also be carried in the backpack. An optional pivoting safety seat thigh portion provides the safety seat with a slimmer profile for ease of carrying.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a travel pack and child safety seat according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the present invention according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an environmental view of a travel pack and child safety seat according to the present invention being carried on the back of a user.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the child safety seat portion of the present invention illustrating the shoulder strap slots and pivoting thigh support.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the child safety seat portion of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a rear elevation view of the present invention according to FIG. 1 illustrating the shoulder straps extending through the rear of the child safety seat.

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the child safety seat portion of the present invention illustrating the headrest and pivoting thigh support.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of the present invention according to FIG. 1 showing the travel bag positioned within the child safety seat and the shoulder straps extending there through.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention showing a one-piece child safety seat.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation view showing the travel bag in position for transporting the child safety seat according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 9.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a travel pack and child safety seat, designated generally as 100 in the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention 100 includes a child safety seat 102 and a travel pack 104. The travel pack is removably attached to the child safety seat 102, whereby a person, as shown in FIG. 3, can easily transport the child safety seat 102 on their back by means of the shoulder straps 106 attached to the travel pack 104 and which extend through four slots 202 disposed within the back portion of the child safety seat 102.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the travel pack 104 is designed to fit snug within the child-carrying portion of the child safety seat 102, wedged between the back of the seat 102 and the flipped up thigh support portion 114 of seat 102. A pivot rod 116 passing through the body of the seat 102 and the thigh support portion 114 enables the thigh portion 114 to rotate between two operating positions: the first position is substantially horizontal, as shown in FIG. 4, to support a child seated in the child safety seat 102, and the second position has the thigh support 114 in a vertical position, as shown in FIG. 3, to enclose the travel pack 104 and provide the child safety seat 102 with a reduced profile when being carried.

The travel pack 104 may be used for carrying child related material such as diapers, baby food, or may be used as a general-purpose backpack storage container. Disposed on the front of the travel pack 104 is an easily accessible smaller storage compartment 112. The travel pack 102 may be is made of any pliable material such as plastic, fabric, or any material commonly known in the art of backpack construction. The main compartment of the travel pack 102 is accessible by means of a zipper 120 disposed along the side of the travel pack 102. A handgrip 110 permanently attached to the top of the travel pack 102 provides the means for carrying the travel pack 104 with or without the attachable child safety seat 102.

As previously disclosed and illustrated in FIGS. 1-2, the travel pack 104 includes a pair of upper shoulder straps 106, each strap consisting of a longer upper strap 130 and a shorter lower strap 132, the two strap portions detachably connected by an adjustable and releasable attachment device 118. A first end of each upper strap 130 is preferably sewn or otherwise attached to the rear top of the travel pack 104. The second end of each upper strap 130 preferably is threaded through one half 118 a of the adjustable and releasable attachment device 118. The adjustable and releasable attachment device 118 may be any suitable mechanism that permits straps to be shortened and lengthened and connected without slipping or accidental release. Examples of suitable mechanism include tri glide type buckles, ladderloc type buckles, side release buckles and hook-and-loop closures, however, the present invention is not limited to these mechanisms. The other half 118 b of the adjustable and releasable attachment device 118 is attached to one end of a lower shoulder strap 132 and the second end of the lower shoulder strap 132 is preferably sewn or otherwise attached to the rear bottom of the travel pack 104. The straps 106 are formed of standard nylon webbing commonly used for backpacks and a pair of cushioned strap covers 108 wrap around at least a portion of the upper strap portion 130 of the straps 106.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the child safety seat 102 is removably mounted to a full size seat of a vehicle by means of the vehicle's lap belt 404, which passes through apertures 122 disposed in each side of the child safety seat 102. Alternate means for safely mounting a child safety seat to a vehicle may be incorporated, however, the design of child safety restraints is under strict government control. As of September, 1999, all new forward facing safety seats (not including booster eats) were required to meet stricter head protection requirements, which called for a top tether strap attached to the back of a child safety seat. As a result, one such alternative includes the Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH) system designed to make installation of child safety seats easier by requiring child safety seats to be installed without using the vehicle's seat belt system.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the thigh support 114 is in its extended position and reveals the five-point child restraint harness 406 used to safely support a seated child. The harness 406, composed of standard strap material known to those in the art, has two attachment points at the shoulder, two at the hips, and one between the legs of the child. Disposed in the back portion of the child safety seat 102 are two sets of apertures 202 through which the upper and lower portions of shoulder straps 106 are passed through to the rear of the child safety seat 102 as shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the child safety seat 102 may include a removable headrest 124 which can be stored in the travel pack 104 when in transit. The headrest 124 has a pair of support rods 126 depending from the bottom of the headrest 124 and is received by a pair of wells 128 disposed within the top of the child safety seat 102.

FIG. 7 shows the side view of the child safety seat 102 with the extended thigh support 114 and the headrest 124 in place. FIG. 8 illustrates the present invention 100 with the thigh support 114 in its transport position along with the travel pack 104 positioned for carrying the child safety seat 102. The headrest 124 is not shown in FIG. 8, as it would be stored in the travel pack 104 during transport.

The pivoting thigh support 114 and removably headrest 124 are optional components, and as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, an alternate embodiment 900 of the present invention discloses a one-piece design without both the pivoting thigh support 114 and the removable headrest 124 of the previous embodiment.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A travel pack and child safety seat, comprising: a child safety seat having a front, a rear, a top, a seat portion having a front end and a rear end, a seat back portion at the rear of said child safety seat extending upwards from said seat portion rear end, a thigh support portion pivotally connected to said child safety seat at said seat portion front end, means for securing said child safety seat to a full size seat of a vehicle; and a storage pack removably disposed in the front of said child safety seat; wherein said storage pack has a shoulder harness system attached thereto, said shoulder harness system cooperatively engaging said child safety seat.
 2. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 1, further comprising a headrest removably attached to the top of said child safety seat.
 3. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein said shoulder harness system includes a pair of shoulder straps, each of said straps having an upper portion, a lower portion, and an adjustable and releasable attachment device connecting said upper and lower strap portions.
 4. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 3, wherein said seat back portion has a pair of upper slots and a pair of lower slots defined therein, the pair of shoulder straps threaded through said slots.
 5. (canceled)
 6. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 1, further comprising a child restraint harness.
 7. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 6, wherein said child restraint harness is a five-point child restraint harness.
 8. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein said storage pack is constructed of a lightweight pliable material.
 9. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 1, wherein said child safety seat is made of lightweight plastic material.
 10. A travel pack and child safety seat, comprising: a child safety seat having a front, a rear, a seat back portion, a top, a seat portion having a front end and a rear end, a child harness, means for securing said seat to a full size seat of a vehicle, a thigh support portion pivotally connected to said child safety seat at said seat portion front end, a plurality of slots disposed in said seat back portion; and a storage pack having a shoulder harness system attached thereto, said shoulder harness system cooperatively engaging said child safety seat; said shoulder harness system having a pair of shoulder straps, each of said straps having an upper portion, a lower portion, and an adjustable and releasable attachment device connecting said upper and lower strap portions; wherein said shoulder straps may be threaded through the slots defined in the seat back portion of said child safety seat.
 11. (canceled)
 12. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 10, further comprising a headrest removably attached to the top of said child safety seat.
 13. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 10, wherein said storage pack is constructed of a lightweight pliable material.
 14. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 10, wherein said child safety seat is made of lightweight plastic material.
 15. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 10, further comprising a child restraint harness.
 16. The travel pack and child safety seat according to claim 15, wherein said child restraint harness is a five-point child restraint harness. 